


modern legend - the unfinished tales

by alatarmaia4



Series: Vessel 'Verse [8]
Category: Norse Religion & Lore
Genre: Gen, other assorted gods giants et cetera
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-27
Updated: 2019-11-27
Packaged: 2021-02-25 21:37:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,137
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21586501
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alatarmaia4/pseuds/alatarmaia4
Summary: Yes, that's a Tolkien joke.Years and years ago in high school I wrote notebooks full of drafts of scenes that were going to go in Modern Legend, including the climax and even some wrap-up. But getting to that point took me through a journey into a very different mindset than the one I started writing it with, which made it even more difficult to get there.Now, I don't know if I'm ever going to finish Modern Legend properly, so I've decided to transcribe my old drafts (roughly dating from 2015-2017) and post them so that you guys can enjoy the content I wanted to give you.
Series: Vessel 'Verse [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/310767
Comments: 2
Kudos: 8





	modern legend - the unfinished tales

**Author's Note:**

> This first chapter was meant to take place immediately after a plot point where Fenris was kidnapped (from Hogwarts, I assume) and held in Asgard. However, mysteriously, it's Tyr who comes to his rescue and cuts off the ropes binding him...
> 
> The lines marking off scenes are where I literally drew a line in my notebook and moved onto the next scene. I've done my best to preserve them and made only very minor grammatical edits as needed. That means the paragraph breaks, word choice, etc are almost exactly as they are in the original draft.

The shock of suddenly being no longer restrained made Fenris freeze, energy skittering up and down his arm. Tyr hurriedly yanked his sword away, but Fenris saw frost glittering on the tip of it.

He didn’t understand what was happening.

“What do you want?” He demanded. It came out quieter than he would have liked. 

“I want to not have to deal with you,” Tyr growled. He didn’t give Fenris any time to process  _ that  _ bizarre statement. “Why couldn’t you have stayed out of it?”

“You’re the one hunting me down!” Fenris scrambled to his feet and away from Tyr. The tree line wasn’t so far away. Just maybe-

“I don’t control that!” Tyr snapped.

Fenris rubbed his wrist where the cuffs had cut in. The fear that it was a trap kept him from running. “You poisoned me,” he accused. 

“Better dead than under that enchantment again,” Try replied condescendingly. Like Fenris was a child. LIke he didn’t know exactly what Asgard wanted to do to him.

“You’re not any better,” Fenris said numbly. “You - this is a trick - you want me gone like the rest of Asgard-”

_ “Asgard,” _ Tyr said, raising the stump of his wrist, “did not pay the price for Oðin’s wisdom.” 

Up close, it was very easy to see old scars. Where teeth had cut into the flesh.  Fenris tasted blood; a phantom sensation. 

“That’s not my fault,” he said.

“I don’t care,” Tyr said. “Asgard expects me to pay this price again, just because I did it last time. You should have let yourself be taken out of it.”

“You don’t get to  _ poison me _ and say it’s for my own good,” Fenris snarled, anger blazing over fear and lashing out. Magic buzzed in his veins.

Tyr’s head snapped back. He collapsed to the ground.

Fenris didn’t stay to see if Tyr got back up. He was gone before Tyr had even hit the ground. 

Branches from low-growing plants lashed at his legs. It was like the realm itself was trying to keep him from leaving. The forest was almost black - it was steadily growing darker as the sun set. Occasional orange rays managed to pierce through the branches and nearly blind him.

Fenris felt so scared he could probably run all the way down to Muspelheim for fear of what was behind him.

The sun went down. The forest was black as midnight on a new moon. Fenris tripped over a branch.

He went sprawling. Dirt and leaves and raised roots dug into him. Fenris lay stunned for a moment. 

After a moment he dragged himself to a sitting position. His chin and forearms stung. he didn’t think he was bleeding. Blood was bad. Blood could be used against him if someone found him.

There was a freezing touch on his shoulder. Fenris flinched away and scrambled to his feet.

There was nobody there.

_ “Run child,”  _ someone whispered. Fenris spun around and caught a glimpse of a wispy form. A ghost?”  _ “Your sister’s halls are not for you yet!” _

A  _ ghost. _

Hel!

Fenris did what he was told and ran. 

Every breath burned on the way out. He hurt in places he didn’t know had muscles. The ache faded in and out intermittently. He couldn’t heal if he didn’t stop.

Fenris kept going.

He fell again. A tree loomed out of the darkness suddenly and Fenris didn’t dodge or stop quick enough.

This was worse than tripping. Fenris awkwardly felt at his nose. It wasn’t bleeding. His face felt very tender. Bark was not a good surface. 

The temperature around him dropped abruptly. 

_ “On your feet,”  _ Another phantom voice urged. Fenris caught a glimpse of a young, worried face. A flare of already-vanishing skirts.  _ “Don’t dawdle!” _

He _ hurt. _

Fenris got to his feet. He took a deep breath, went around the tree, and kept running. 

The moon rose higher. It was only half full. The trees were still mostly bare branches. They did an admirable job of blocking light from the forest floor. 

Fenris could have been running in circles for all he knew. He didn’t dare stop. The urge to get away was thrumming in time with his heartbeat.

There was a glimmer beyond the trees. Fenris didn’t realize what it was. He crashed out of the protective cover of the trees and froze.

It wasn’t a clearing. That would have been bad enough. It was a _ river. _

Fenris sank to his knees. The river gleamed mockingly in the moonlight. The opposite bank was dark and open and too far away to ever, ever cross fast enough. 

There was the lightest of touches on the crown of his head, and a familiar voice whispered,  _ It is not so insurmountable. Try. _

Fenris whipped around. The dark forest bristled at him uninvitingly.

Something rustled in its depths.

Fenris shot to his feet. He had to follow the river. He couldn’t cross here. Maybe it got narrower somewhere - but which way?

He fell back into the cover of the trees, sprinting away from the noise of someone moving ever closer. It was easier to see, so close to open ground, but probably also easier to see  _ him- _

A four-legged shape bolted out of the undergrowth in front of him. “Fenris, wait!”

Fenris never thought he’d be so relieved to see Hati in his life.

Hati had forced him to stop by skidding to a half in front of him. He was looking up at Fenris in plain relief.

“Am I glad to see you!” He said.

“Don’t be so loud,” Fenris hissed, glancing around apprehensively. It would’ve been more intimidating if he hadn’t been breathing so hard. “I thought you were an Ás.”

“I saw a couple of ‘em, but nowhere near here,” Hati said. Fenris sagged like someone had taken a weight off his shoulders. “We’re not clear yet! We have to get across this river, pronto.”

“Why?” Fenris bent over, trying to catch his breath again.

“They wouldn’t dare follow,” Hati said. “That’s Jotunheim on the other side.”

“Jötunheim?” Fenris raised his head. The opposite back was still nearly invisible in the gloom. The glitter of the river reminded him. “It’s too wide.”

“Can’t you use magic?” Hati asked, a note of desperation in his voice.

Fenris almost shook his head. There was one thing that might...

“I need a rock,” Fenris said. “Runestone-sized.”

If Hati was surprised, he did a good job of not showing it. Fenris kept a wary watch on the tree line while Hati splashed into the river, peering at the water-smoothed pebbles. There were a few on the bank, but someone had to keep watch so they weren’t taken unawares.

“Think this’ll work?” Hati asked, muffled. He picked up a small stone with his mouth and tossed it at Fenris. Fenris caught it, fumbling a little. He was tired and it was slippery with water. It was small too - just about small enough.

“Yeah,” Fenris said. Hati scrambled back onto the bank gratefully. 

“What do you need it for?”

“Magic,” Fenris said. “Do you think you could scratch something onto this?”

Hati looked at the pebble doubtfully. “What’s ‘something’?”

“A rune.”

Hati scoffed. “Why would I know runes?”

Fenris stared. “You don’t? Not even to read?”

“Why would I know how to read?”

“Fine,” Fenris said, “I’ll do it myself.” He looked around, in vain, for a sharp rock. 

“If you need something sharp,” Hati said, “couldn’t you just shapeshift you- bad question!” He said hurriedly when Fenris snapped his head around to give him a horrified look. “Stupid question! I’m just gonna...stop talking.”

Fenris bit back the many things he would’ve liked to say in response to that, and looked back at the ground. No sharp rocks. He’d have to use magic.

Very carefully, Fenris ran his finger over the stone, carving a shallow M; _ehwaz_. 

“What’s that supposed to do?” Hati asked.

“Magic,” Fenris said, and chucked it into approximately the middle of the river. 

Hati stared. “You’re going to have to explain that one to me,” he said.

Fenris didn’t answer, because runes were heavy-duty magic and he was busy folding in half under the sudden strain.

This would probably be easier if he  _ hadn’t  _ run across half a realm first. 

* * *

(I wrote out a proper river-crossing scene, but it’s not in this version and I can’t find it, so I’ll post it later).

* * *

Fenris had never heard anything  _ bad  _ about Mani, but he still felt weird about following the path the god set out for him. He was only walking now, not running, but every step still felt like one more than he was willing to take. 

Jotunheim wasn’t covered in snow, which was lucky. The grass was covered in a thin layer of frost that crunched with every step, which was  _ not  _ lucky. Aside from the thin strip of moonlight they were following, it was pitch black and difficult to see where he was going.

Walking felt almost worse than running, because it was a lot easier to stop. Hati trotting half a step behind him meant that he only reason Fenris wanted to stop at all was because of exhaustion or because he didn’t want the wolf where he couldn’t see him.

* * *

Frost crunched, distantly. If Fenris hadn’t been so tired, he would have shot to his feet.

Hati didn’t make that much noise.

“Hati,” he whispered. When nothing happened, he dared to raise his voice a little.  _ “Hati.” _

There were a few more seconds of silence. Then Fenris heard a series of rapid, soft footsteps.

“Yeah?” Hati said.

* * *

Fenris pressed himself closer to the tree. The lantern was closer now, illuminating whoever was carrying it. The hood of their cloak meant their face was in shadow, but Fenris could make out that they were tall - and carrying a sword. 

Hati was somewhere out of sight. Fenris scooted back behind the tree and waited, breathless.

The seconds drew themselves out unbearably. Fenris’ breathing sounded conspicuously loud, to his ears. The bark of the tree bit into his hands. 

There was a low snarl behind him, and a shocked exclamation. Fenris heard a metallic clatter and a hiss of the lantern being extinguished over the frost crunching underfoot.

He stiffened when he heard the metallic  _ shing  _ of a sword being unsheathed.

Fenris didn’t think he  _ liked  _ Hati, and he definitely didn’t like wolves. But Hati was at least one ally he could count on. If he was hurt, or worse-

Fenris couldn’t just run and  _ leave  _ him.

But if he did he might get away-

Hati snarled again. Fenris’ eyes jerked open. He inched around the tree, meaning to try and keep following the path.

Mani’s path was gone. Fenris stared in dismay.

The clouds had covered it up. Only flashes of moonlight in the distance showed where a gap had opened, but it was not nearly as clear.

There was a solid  _ thunk  _ that shook the tree he was hiding behind. Solid enough to be a sword missing its original target and biting into the wood.

Fenris’ other choice had just vanished.

He threw himself out from behind it. “Don’t hurt him!”

“Fenris, what are you doing?” Hati demanded.

“Fenris?” The figure twisted around. His hood had fallen, but his face was still almost invisible in the darkness. Hati lunged at him. The figure brought his sword up just as fast.

“I said  _ don’t!”  _ Fenris lashed out, but the most his magic could do was propel both Hati and the man backwards a little.

Spending power he barely had made Fenris wobble, suddenly more unsteady on his feet. Hati darted in between in and the stranger. 

“What do you want?” Hati snarled.

“Nothing,” the man said. “I didn’t expect to run into anybody.”

“I don’t believe you,” Fenris said, putting one hand against the tree to steady himself. He felt the edges of a deep gouge in the bark. His eyes darted, unbidden, to the sword, knocked to the ground and gleaming in the scant moonlight that occasionally illuminated it. 

“Would you believe me if I said I know your father?”

“How do you know who my father is?” Fenris demanded. A growl rumbled low in Hati’s throat.

“There are only so many people named Fenris in the world,” the man said, and reached out - for the fallen lantern. “I didn’t expect to ever see you  _ here,  _ though.”

“I’ve never met you,” Fenris said, nerves vibrating through his body.

“No, no. I only recognized your name.” The stranger picked up the lantern. “I think you’ve met my mother, though. Remember Laufey?”

_ “Laufey?” _ Fenris echoed, startled, as the man snapped his fingers and the lantern hissed back to life.

His eyes were identical to Loki’s.

“Ymir’s bones, you don’t even have a coat,” he said, shocked, while Fenris was staring. He put the lantern back down hastily and started tugging his own jacket off. Fenris had mistaken it for a cloak before. “What are you doing in Jötunheim?”

“Wait,” Fenris said faintly. “You - you’re my dad’s-”

“Brother,” the man said, “yeah. My name’s Býleistr.” He held out his coat to Fenris. Fenris did not take it.

“Come on,” Býleistr said. “There aren’t any knives hidden in the lining or anything. Jötunheim’s colder than anywhere on Midgard.”

Fenris hesitated, but took the coat.

“Isn’t  _ this  _ a coincidence,” hati said. His hackles had lowered, but he hadn’t changed his threatening stance. “You just happen to be related?”

“I followed that line of moonlight,” Býleistr said. “If you were too, you’re lucky you ran into me first. It’s a little obvious.”

“Take it up with Máni,” Hati muttered.

“Máni?” Býleistr repeated, looking back at Fenris. “You’ve made some interesting friends.”

Fenris wasn’t sure whether he meant Máni or Hati. “I guess,” he said, trying to fold the sleeves of the coat up but giving it up as a lost cause. Býleistr was a much bigger size; the coat fairly swamped Fenris. It was faintly warm, probably from the heat of Býleistr’s body. 

Býleistr was giving him a thoughtful look. He really  _ did  _ look a lot like Loki. His hair wasn’t blonde, though, but the same red Fenris remembered that Loki’s used to be.

“You never said what you were doing in Jötunheim,” Býleistr said after a moment.

“Running,” Fenris said.

Býleistr paised for much, much longer. “Does Loki know where you are?”

Fenris didn’t answer.

“Come on,” Býleistr said, exasperated. “I just want to know if you’re in Jötunheim in the middle of the night,  _ alone-” _

“He’s not alone,” Hati said indignantly.

_ “You’re  _ not Loki,” Býleistr said. “That’s what I’m asking, because if Loki isn’t here, then I doubt he knows where you are, and he’s probably driving himself up the wall trying to find you.”

“I don’t know what the last part means,” Fenris said sullenly. It was typical that this mystery uncle would go and use a metaphor just when he was starting to make sense.

Býleistr sighed.  _ “If  _ you’re here alone,” he said, making it pretty clear he didn’t mean ‘if’, “then my mom - Laufey - can help, okay? You can’t just walk up to anyone’s door here and ask for help.”

“I wasn’t going to,” Fenris snapped. “I was already going to Laufey’s.”

“We were?” Hati asked at the same time that Býleistr said “Great, that’s where I came from. We can go together.”

“Hold on,” Hati said quickly, and Býleistr must have seen the wariness in Fenris’ face.

Hati growled when Býleistr turned to reach for his sword. Býleistr gave him a flatly unimpressed look.

“You attacked me first, I’ll remind you,” he said. “I’m putting it away, anyway.” He did put it back in the sheath - and then, to Fenris’ bewilderment, he unbuckled the belt that held the sheath at his side.

“Here,” Býleistr said, holding out the belt and sheath and sword. “You hold onto it, if that’ll make you trust me enough to walk together.”

Fenris didn’t hesitate this time. He nearly dropped the sword when Býleistr let go.

“I can use this,” Fenris said, abjectly failing at looking or sounding threatening as he pulled the belt tight. It was, like the coat, much too big. The sword hung heavily on his right side and dragged on the ground.

“I’m sure,” Býleistr said. It sounded like he was just humoring Fenris. The sword was fairly big...

Fenris took a deep breath. “Fine,” he said. “Show me the way.”

* * *

He stumbled not ten minutes later.

“I’m fine,” Fenris said hurriedly.

“Uh-huh.” Býleistr said. “No offense, but you look ready to fall asleep on your feet.”

“I’m  _ fine,” _ Fenris snapped.

“You don’t have to walk all the way.”

“I can do it!”

“You don’t  _ need  _ to,” Býleistr countered, audibly frustrated.

“What’s the other option, you carrying me?” Fenris temporarily loathed how attractive that option sounded. “I’m not a  _ kid.”  _ He actually said that. Fenris closed his eyes in frustration so he didn’t have to see Býleistr’s face.

“At least you didn’t say you’re not tired,” Býleistr said wryly. “Alright, fine, we can keep walking. If you think you’ve got a couple more hours in you.”

_ Hours? _ Fenris stared at Býleistr and tried not to cry. He’d  _ already  _ walked for hours.

“That looks like a no,” Býleistr said. Fenris opened his mouth to argue, but Býleistr kept talking. “Besides, if I give you a ride on my back you could go straight for my neck if I tried anything. And you’ve got him,” he added, gesturing at Hati.

“I have a  _ name,”  _ Hati said. Fenris glanced at him, biting his lip. Hati  _ would  _ help him if anything happened...

“Fine,” Fenris grumbled.

Býleistr crouched down, and Fenris clambered onto his back, not quite tired enough to not be embarrassed about it.

Býleistr hoisted him up, moving his arm when he accidentally trapped the sword hilt. Fenris pressed his face into the furry lining of his borrowed coat’s overlarge hood.

He didn’t realize he was falling asleep until he realized that he’d loosened his grip. Fenris jerked his head back up, blinking furiously, and held on tighter. His arms were looped around Býleistr’s neck, but he was holding on to his opposite wrist, not Býleistr.

He almost drifted off again, and that time it was even harder to drag his head back up. The third time he opened his eyes, looked at the furry coat lining and the trees for a few moments, and closed his eyes again.

Býleistr kept walking. He hoisted Fenris back up every once in a while, but Fenris didn’t wake up.

No one except Hati was around to see the fondly amused look Býleistr cast over his shoulder.

“I still don’t like you,” Hati said, walking right next to Býleistr.

“I’ll live.”

“Maybe,” Hati muttered under his breath. Býleistr rolled his eyes, and kept walking.

**Author's Note:**

> Býleistr is canonically (as far as Norse mythology goes) attributed as a brother of Loki, though whether Laufey is his mother is up in the air. Not much at all is known about him. I just thought it would be fun to include him.
> 
> Jötunheim and Asgard are separated by a river, too, named Ífingr. 
> 
> As for the ghosts, it's been so long I have no idea what was going on there. And for a final note, when Fenris says he thinks Hati was an "Ás", he means a god. In Norse, a god singular is an Ás, while many gods are Æsir. And yes, it's pronounced pretty much like "ass". Appropriate, no?


End file.
